The Secret Life of Eugene Fitzherbert
by susan friedman
Summary: Ten year old Eugene daydreams he's Flynn Rider again, but this time he does it in class. Edited and changed for content. Complete in one chapter.


The Secret Life of Eugene Fitzherbert

_It was a beautiful spring afternoon in the village of Corona. Everyone was enjoying the early June heat, a change from a very cold May. It took forever, but everyone could feel summer coming on._

_Flynn Rider has just put into Corona Harbor on his large sailboat when he hears a woman's scream in the distance._

_Flynn looks around, trying to pinpoint the direction of the scream. He pulls out his Scream Meter and holds it in front of his eyes. The Meter is round and looks a lot like a compass, complete with directions and a needle. This time the needle is pointing northwest. It has to come from a tower, because a tower is where the villain always hides young girls. But this is not just any tower. This tower is deep in the middle of the woods. Someone is up there and someone is being attacked, maybe even killed. _

_Flynn's trusty horse, Maximus, is waiting to take his master anywhere. His keen eyes and fast legs know just where he needs to go._

_And this night would be no exception. _

_And so astride Max, Flynn rides to the tower, only to discover that it's 70 feet high. Quickly, he jumps off Max and searches for a way to get to the top. The screams are louder now as he reaches into his magic satchel and pulls out several things before he gets what he really wants, which is a rope with a hook attached. In one fell swoop he throws it up to the only open window that he sees. To his amazement, it reaches the top and curls itself around the sill. He tugs on it to make sure that it will hold and he begins to climb straight up to the rope toward the open window where he…_

"EUGENE FITZHERBERT!"

Ten year old Eugene looked up. There she was, Miss Purdita Simmons or as he dubbed her "Persimmons." He hated even looking at one of those weird looking fruits, in fact once you left them outside for a few days, they would start getting all wrinkled and horrible looking.

This was the case with Miss Purdy Simmons.

She wasn't an old woman, fairly young, at least to him. She was the only lay teacher at the orphanage and Eugene had heard she was going to marry; something had happened though, before she came to teach here. He wasn't quite sure what it was although the kids whispered every time she came near. She had dark hair with streaks of grey and wide brown eyes. No matter what she always wore the same red dress.

Well, it looked the same to him.

They called her a witch, but he hadn't seen any evidence of that. It's true, she'd been here since his father died of pneumonia. Too sick to raise him alone, his mother trudged in the rain to bring Eugene to the orphanage, only to collapse when she got him here. She was brought to a private room where she was cared for until her death two days later.

"As we were saying," Persimmons, with one last look in direction, faced the rest of the class. "Corona was not one of your typical kingdoms. This castle seemed to grow overnight. The King and Queen did not believe in war nor did they rule with an iron hand. They wanted peace in the surrounding village. They got to know everyone in the village as they searched the kingdom and beyond for their missing…"

_Flynn Rider crawls through the open window where he finds a girl with long blonde hair bound and gagged. There is a woman standing over her, a woman with dark black hair with streaks of grey shot through. She draws a knife and walks over to where he is standing, but this was no time to shirk his duty. He's here to save the girl after all. He counteracts with his knife and the two circle and dance, both waving knives at each other. The older woman brings her knife forward and slashes his arm, but that doesn't stop Flynn Rider. No, he is more determined than ever. He brings the knife up, but …_

"MR. FITZHERBERT," the piercing cry came again. "Can you answer the question?"

Eugene smiled shyly. "I'm sorry, Per, I mean Miss Simmons. I was…"

Persimmons shook her head. "Daydreaming again, Eugene?"

Eugene shrugged. "Can you ask the question again, Miss Simmons? I didn't hear what you said,"

He asked so sweetly and had screwed up his face so that he looked as innocent as possible. The half raised smile, the raising of the eyebrows and the bedroom eyes melted her disposition.

She turned away from him, but Eugene didn't think that she was finished yet.

"Can anyone else tell me what happened to the Lost Princess and why we send lanterns up into the air every year?"

Eugene watched as the other children around shot their hands up. He knew why, the Lost Princess disappeared and the lanterns were a signal for her to follow them home.

If she was alive, that is.

_He brings the knife up, but the old woman knocks it from his hand. She pushes him down on the ground and holds the knife over him as if it were a threat. There is a struggle as the old woman brings the knife toward his heart. Flynn tries to prevent her, but it was no use. _

_The struggle continues. _

_Flynn finally finds strength and manages to wrestle the knife from her fingers and rolls toward the window, ready to throw the knife over. She rushes at him, but she's lost her footing over Flynn's splayed out legs. She trips over them sending her out the window to her death. Flynn cuts the bonds of the girl with the long blonde hair and they hug and kiss. _

"_Oh Eugene," the girl exclaims. "I have so much to thank you for."_

_Eugene shakes his head and wonders why she's calling him Eugene when it should be Flynn. How does she…_

"Eugene?"

He looked up and realized just where he was.

"Yes?" he answers as if nothing ever happened,

Persimmons frowned and tapped her foot. "Eugene, you're daydreaming again, aren't you? it's obvious you're not even listening?"

Eugene gave her that half smile again and Persimmons melts.

She smiled back. "Alright," she says, "You and your smolder can go stand in the corner again. But before you go, why don't you share your daydream with the rest of the class?"

He looked around the room and sees the eager faces ready to listen to what he has to say.

"Flynn Rider will save the Lost Princess, Miss Simmons. He will rescue her from her high tower and defeat her enemy. He will come for her, Miss Simmons. You'll see."

The boys and girls stare at one another, and then start to laugh. Eugene looked over and noticed that Persimmons is trying hard to keep a straight face.

"Alright, class, quiet down." She turned her attention back to Eugene.

"And you, young man," she said quietly so only he can hear. "No more "Tales of Flynnagan Rider" tonight. I think you've had enough. We could all use a break. You'll pick up where you left off tomorrow. Is that clear?"

Eugene nods. "Yes Per…Miss Simmons," he answered and plodded over to the corner. That word, Persimmons used. What was it again?" He was trying to remember when it hit him.

"Smolder," he said aloud, but no one heard him. He smiled to himself. He needed to find out exactly what it meant.

_And so Flynn and the girl with the long blonde hair jump on Maximus who is waiting patiently down below and gallops off into the sunset toward Corona Harbor where they board his boat and enjoy a kiss before sailing off together to his private island where…._

_.  
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